Persecuted, but Not Abandoned; Struck Down, but Not Destroyed

In a village in Kyrgyzstan, Zaur* was severely beaten because of his faith in Christ. The local police refused to take his statement when he tried to report the incident. Likewise, when he went to the hospital to have his wounds treated, the doctor refused to provide him with medical care when she learned that Zaur had been beaten for his Christian faith.

Azur has moved because of this harassment, and is in hiding outside the village. His parents, who are not Christians, but respect his faith, have moved as well out of fear of the wrath of their neighbors. The day after they fled the village, their neighbors unleashed their fury over Zaur’s faith in Jesus by throwing all of his cattle off a cliff and throwing stones at his house.

*Not his real name

Father, we come before You today filled with grief for Zaur and his family. We pray that You would quickly heal his wounds and return his strength, but more than that, we pray that You would heal Zaur and his family from this emotional trauma. We pray for his parents that they might turn to You as their Savior. For those who are hostile toward him because of his faith in Christ, we pray that Your Holy Spirit would soften their hearts to see instead the presence of Christ, Your presence, in him. For those who look on questioning, help them to see his strong faith in the midst of harsh treatment and turn in saving faith to the Lord Jesus. We pray this in the name of Jesus, the Lamb of God who was slain, that those who turn to Him in faith might become sons of the Most High God. Amen.